INTRUDER

I didn't know what happened. It didn't make sense. One moment I was outside talking to an alien or possibly a weird perverted hippie. Now, I was in my room, comfortably tucked under my blankets. Oh, so it was a dream, huh? I knew it wasn't real!

I got up and stroked my head. I was having a slight headache and my throat hurts. I didn´t know shouting in dreams could affect me physically too.

I faced the mirror. Wow, I haven't seen my face in a long while. My dark hair which is this muddy brown color that reaches down until my waist is a mess. I don't have the money nor the time to have it properly trimmed so I just allow it to grow this long.

I looked like I haven't sleep in a long time. My eye bags are really getting out of hand. I used to care so much about what I looked like but I just got so tired.

Nothing else matters now. I just want to get my degree and escape this town.

I looked at the picture of the Van Gogh Museum on my wall and imagined the life I would be living when I move to Amsterdam. I would be sipping coffee and eating baguettes at noon, and seeing the paintings I´ve made curated on a museum.

I sighed. Three more years till I get there. I still have to submit that abstract painting project Mr. Morrison had assigned to us for the weekend. I can´t wait till I´m a junior so I could escape Mr. Morrison´s class.

I was about to go downstairs and prepare for breakfast, when I heard clanking sounds coming from the kitchen. I live alone and any unfamiliar sound is enough to make me panic.

Is it a thief?! A rapist?! How did he break into my house? And in broad daylight too?

I dialed 911. They picked up right away

(Hello, this is 911 emergency. How may I help you?)

"There is someone inside my house," I whispered.

(What is your name, Ma'am?)

"I'm Maddison Hart,¨

(Are you alone?)

"Yes, I am. I'm in my room now, and I think an intruder is downstairs. Please come right away!"

(We'll be sending a patrol car. Can I have your address?)

"Its 23rd street, West Village. Please hurry,"

The clanking sound downstairs suddenly stopped.

So does my heart. What am I gonna do?

I remembered I had my stun gun with me. My dad bought me one as a 'moving-away' present.

Now, where is that thing when I need it the most?

I was searching for it when I accidentally hit the lampshade and it came crashing down the floor.

Oh no! Shit.

Suddenly, there were footsteps. Slow at first, then accelerated into a run.It was coming up the stairs and suddenly stopped in front of my room.

I can see the intruder´s feet on the little crack on my door.

I was so afraid.

I kept thinking about the horrible things this thief could possibly do to me.

I send a little prayer to God and held the stungun tightly against my chest. All those NCIS and WWE marathons I wasted my time should come in handy.

On the count of three, I'm gonna give this little bastard the "shock" he deserves.

One.

Two.

Three.

I opened the door and screamed at the top of my lungs. I pointed the stun gun towards the intruder´s direction and hoped that my aim is perfect and it got to him.

I heard a loud thud and peeked at the intruder all the while still holding the stun gun in his direction. He was unconscious on the ground.

I used my feet to make him face me.

Holy CRAP! It was the alien from my dream.

My headache seemed to intensify and the pounding in my head was getting louder. I think I'm gonna be sick!

I ran towards the bathroom and emptied out the contents of my dinner last night. What in the freaky Friday happened last night?

Was I accidentally dosed with some of those party drugs and I´m hallucinating? Did I accidentally brought this guy home last night because I was too high? Did I sleep with him? Although these conclusions are more ridiculous to believe than last night being real. Me? Being high, partying, and bringing a boy over? Not in the list of life achievements for a good two shoes shrewd like me.

WHY IS HE HERE?

A few seconds later the he woke up from his stupor, stood up and faced me.

"What is wrong with you? You just sent 50,000 volts of electricity into my system!" he shouted at me.

I took a deep breath before letting out an angry monologue. He has the nerve to yell at me?! He is a stranger inside a girl´s house living alone and he expected me to welcome him with what?

I have to protect myself. Its a scary world out here.

"You jerk! Did you know how scared I was thinking that some stranger might have invaded my home? Did you know how fuckin' scared I am because I thought that a psycho sociopath might be here to kill me, I mean it might be a crazy thought, but it's entirely possible! And you have the nerve to be mad at me?! I almost died of anxiety, you idiot!" I shouted back at him.

He stared at me wide-eyed and started laughing his head off.

HE.LAUGHED.AT.ME.

That bastard! I slapped him hard in the face.

He suddenly stopped laughing and looked at me with cold eyes.

That was when I started to feel scared of him.

Once again he looked at me and said with a voice full of authority, " I am your master, earthling, bow down before me,"

I gaped at him. What a narcissistic jerk!

"Are you kidding me? You can't make me do that," I mocked at him.

"But you just did," he said nonchalantly.

Huh? What?

I was dumbfounded. I don't know when or how but I was down on my knees.

"H-h-h-h-o w did y-y-y-o u?" I stuttered.

He shrugged.

"Now that we have established the fact on who rules here, earthling, serve me some earth food. I am famished!" he smiled that goofy smile again.

I worked mechanically. I was too afraid of him to utter even a single word.

I chopped some vegetables and prepared food for 'his royal highness' while that jerk was in the living room looking in awe at my television.

Didn't they have TV's from where he came from? In sci-fi movies, they seem to have cooler technology than we do.

As I released my anger on those poor vegetables and chopping at such speed, I think of all the things he could do and listed them in my mind.

He fell from the sky

He's got a spaceship

He's got super speed

He can read minds

He can control people

He is super strong

He's a perverted alien with a habit of kissing strangers

He is annoying!

The doorbell rang and interrupted me from my mental listings.

I wonder who could that be, I don't usually have visitors.

"Hey, Maddie someone who calls himself 'the police' is looking for you," the alien shouted. He was the one who opened the door.

Shit! I dialed 911 awhile ago! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! I keep cursing and cursing, and tried as hard as I can to keep my composure.

I walked towards the door and smiled at the police officer standing by the door.

"Hi, Mr. Officer" I gulped as the police officer looked at me with one raised eyebrow.

"I received a report about a break-in from a certain Maddison Lewis about 9:10 this morning," he said with a gruff voice.

The police officer was about 6 feet tall and looked as buff as a rock.

I plastered a smile and replied, "Yes, that would be me. You see, Mr. Officer it was just, uhm you see the situation is..." I stopped.

I looked at V. How could I possibly tell this giant that this perfectly normal-looking boy in front of him is actually an alien traveling in style?

I sighed.

I can't explain the situation to the police. It's too complicated and so unbelievable they might think I'm crazy.

The police officer was waiting for my reply, and he was no patient man.

This is the first time I have needed the help of a police ever in my life. I don't know how to handle situations like this.

I can the feel the sweat forming at the back of my neck and in the tip of my nose. It always does that whenever I am nervous.

Surprisingly, the alien replied in my stead, "Mr. Officer, I'm sorry to have bothered you today but it's just a false alarm. My girlfriend wasn't expecting me today and thought that it might be some stranger. You see she had a stalker back then and I believe she's still traumatized. I'm really sorry about that, Mr. Officer. I hope you understand. She's been through a lot lately," he stopped then continued, "And she's been quite unstable lately, you see she's pregnant and like they say, 'You should always forgive everything a pregnant woman did to you, its like a federal law,'' he ended it with a laugh.

The police stared at him hard as if he's reading into every word he said.

The alien touched my belly and I shivered at his touch.

"Well," he cleared his thought. "Congratulations on the baby,"

I was once again dumbfounded. How did he make such an excuse with such a short time? I added it to my mental list:

Expert liar

I smiled at the officer and saw him scratch his beard.

"Okay, but please don't sound any false alarm again, young lady. The police has far better things to do than respond to things like false alarms and childish pranks. I'll forgive you this once," he said.

I smiled sweetly at him, thanked him and waved goodbye.

"Oh and young man, take care of your girlfriend, her stalker might still be lurking around somewhere, and take care of the baby!" the police added on before leaving.

"Of course I'll take care of my girlfriend, Mr. Officer," he smiled at the police officer and waved at him.

I gawked at him. Did he just call me girlfriend?

WAIT! WHAT?!

I replayed their conversation in my head. I am pretty sure he mentioned something about me being pregnant and me being his girlfriend!

This jerk! Out of all the excuses he could think of, he thought of that?! And worse the police believed it! I don't look pregnant, I'm skinny.

Okay, maybe the holidays made my belly a little rounder than usual but still...

I was about to rage war on him but I was taken aback by what he said.

He smiled at me and asked, "What's a girlfriend?"

I laughed at him and said, "You don't have to know that, but wait let me ask you, how the hell you managed to answer that police officer so calmly?"

"Huh? Oh I saw the little humans do it from that magical box you have," he said while pointing at my TV.

I looked at it and saw that "Pretty Little Liars" was on air. That explains the 'stalker' nonsense he was talking about, but where did he get that pregnant nonsense? No one was pregnant on that show.

He looked at me and realized I wasn't contented with his answer.

"What?" he asked.

I know you can read my mind answer me.

"Well, I was hoping that even in this planet, pregnant women would be forgiven for everything they did or would ever do while they are carrying precious lives in them,

"Pregnant women sounded like queens from where you came from,"

"Well they are. They're the hope of our existence after all,"

"Wow, as a feminist, I approve of your planet," I said and smiled at him.

I pat him on the back and thanked him. He smiled at me and continued on watching from 'the magical box' as if he was enthralled by it.

Why did I thank him? He was the reason why that police officer was here in the first place! Urghh get a grip Maddie. You're starting to be obnoxious!

For someone who came from literal outer space, he seemed to be so fascinated by the television a lot. My TV wasn't even those high-definition expensive ones and he's already enthralled by it. 

"Don't you have televisions where you came from?"

"No,"he answered. "Not the same kind you have. You have movies and dramas. We don't have that much entertainment where I came from," 

For a moment, the alien looked a little sad.

"The entertainment here is crap. Nothing to be envious about," I told him. 

"Nothing entertaining ever happens where I came from, so while I'm here and they haven't found me yet, I am going to enjoy the hell out of your planet, Earthling." his eyes lit up and he looked like a little kid looking forward for an adventure. 

Wait, who is "they" and why are "they" looking for Cy?